There's a lurid anti-Romney meme that's been building momentum on liberal blogs and Twitter over the last several weeks. The claim? As an executive at Bain Capital, the presumptive GOP nominee invested in a medical waste company that services abortion clinics. As the Left becomes increasingly desperate -- and given the Obama campaign's flagrant lack of fealty to the truth -- it's entirely possible (if not probable) that this attack will make the jump to primetime in the coming weeks or months. Via Jim Geragthy, CNN outlines the basics:

Inside both Bain and the Romney campaign, there is a strong belief that either the Obama campaign or a Democratic ally wants to use another Bain investment against Romney late in the campaign but cannot do so with any credibility under the February 1999 departure scenario. The investment in question: Stericycle, a medical waste company that, among other things, disposed of aborted fetuses. How could the Stericycle investment be used against Romney? Bain's involvement in a company that disposed of aborted fetuses could make a powerful final week direct mail piece or attack ad on Christian radio. And in a close election, turnout of the religious right is one of the keys to a Romney victory in November.

You can almost envision the ads already: "Flip-flopping Mitt Romney was once pro-choice, but now says he's pro-life. What he doesn't want you to know is that as a greedy vulture capitalist at Bain Capital, he invested in a company that disposed of the remains of fetuses -- profiting from an industry he claims to oppose." The motivation behind these criticisms would not be to express moral outrage over the ghoulish process of discarding unborn children as human waste, of course. Indeed, those who are pushing this line of attack almost universally support abortion on demand, and thus would hold no objection to a company complicit in the abortion industry. These smears are obviously aimed at driving a wedge between Romney and social conservatives, with the goal of depressing turnout. They would also serve to paint Romney as an amoral opportunist, so consumed by rank avarice that he is willing to sell out any "principles" he claims to hold dear for an extra buck. I employ the word "smears" here because the entire allegation is patently untrue. Back to CNN:

Bain negotiated the Stericyle investment deal in November 1999, nine months after Romney said he left. Bain's investors pour money into numbered investment pools. Several sources said that Fund VII was the main investment vehicle at that time. "You don't see his name anywhere -- in the meetings list, the investor documents, the manager paperwork -- it would have to be there if he was involved in any way," one current Bain officer said of Romney and Fund VII. "He was long gone then."

Geragthy points to additional evidence from the Huffington Post that further discredits the invented Romney/Stericycle nexus:

“By the time Bain Capital had made the investment in Stericycle, he had left the firm to run the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. He maintained ownership in Bain and kept holdings in its private equity funds, which included Stericycle stock, but he had no say in the managerial or strategic decisions at the firm, according to Bain officials...Stericycle’s work with abortion clinics constitutes a ‘small’ portion of its overall operations, an official with the company told The Huffington Post (the official declined to confirm whether or not Planned Parenthood specifically is still a client)… There is no publicly available data showing that either Romney or other officials at Bain knew of Stericycle’s work with Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics before the investment.”

LifeNews goes even further in exposing the mendacity of the "Romney profited from abortion" line:

- Bain Capital sold off 40 percent of its shares in Stericycle in 2001 and sold the rest by 2004.

- Stericycle apparently began contracting with abortion clinics in 2007.

- The pro-life community only became aware of Stericycle’s role in abortion clinics, and campaigning against its work, in 2011.

To recap: Bain invested in Stericycle after Mitt Romney left the company, and appears to have fully divested from the company three years prior to Stericycle beginning its work with abortion clinics. Also, the pro-life organizations that most actively oppose abortion didn't discover Stericycle's connection to abortion until roughly a dozen years after a (Romney-free) Bain Capital made its long-since-expired investment. But aside from all that, Romney profited from abortion! If Team Obama or any of its unofficial surrogates decide to resurrect this inaccurate claim over the next four months, perhaps it might be time for conservatives to remind the American people that Barack Obama was the leading opponent of the Illinois Born Alive Infant Protection Act as a State Senator. The law was crafted to end the barbaric (and documented) practice of abortionists abandoning babies who survived botched abortions, leaving them to suffer and die. Obama has offered various explanations for his multiple votes, several of which have been proven to be false and deliberately misleading.

Indeed...mitt family$ for Planned Parenthood...plus ensured PP rep would be perm member of romneycare by not vetoing that portion of bill...mitt also sanctioned the “research” side destruction of embyos in early 2007...during katie couric interview...this was over 3 yrs after a supposed “prolife” conversion...so romney endorses the “research” arm of the womb raiders

Your ignorance on the official Mormon church pos. On abortion is showing.. the lds church sanctions abortions ...if the father is an incest perp...thereby covering up the incest...rape...if the mom's "health" is effected--"health" defined so broadly...like roe v wade...also if the abortionist says it's "ok"...and then finally...if the Mormon god says it's "ok"...thru "prayer"...that last exception alone could cover any and all abortions

Perhaps you also believed President Bush was the mastermind of 9/11 and was the dumbest president ever, but that arrogant, lazy lying pos occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is the most intelligent ever. If so, then you need to crawl back under the rock from which you crawled out of. If not, then I apologize

I so do not get why some “conservatives” try and rehabilitate Romney. Are we no more than the “Hear no evil, see no evil & speak no evil” monkeys?

Romney was exposed in the Primaries by some real conservatives. He is as bad as he is made out to be. And I am terrified that if the unlikely happens (he is elected) that Conservatism will die. They already don’t take us seriously. But, hey. Are we so easily controlled by a boogie man? It would seem so.

I so do not get why some conservatives try and rehabilitate Romney. Are we no more than the Hear no evil, see no evil & speak no evil monkeys?

I doubt there are many actual Romney "Supporters" here, much less, are those of us who will reluctantly vote for him "trying to rehabilitate him," excusing his positions of Social Issues or defending his record.

What most of ARE doing is OPPOSING he who is much more dangerous, eeeeevil and a threat to our NATIONAL SECURITY or haven't you noticed what our FASCIST Dear Leader has been up to for the past 3 1/2 years?

And I am terrified that if the unlikely happens (he is elected) that Conservatism will die.

Is that so? Well there are some of us Conservative PATRIOTS who are "TERRIFIED" that if B. Hussein Obama gets reelected, that our "REPUBLIC WILL DIE!"

I voted for Rick Santorum in our primaries on Super Tuesday, but I will not throw my vote away like you do and vote for someone that dropped out, and therefore wastes his or her vote and gives his or her vote to that arrogant pos, occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. My vote will go to Mitt Romney. BTW my original choice was Herman Cain

(1)...except in the rare cases where, in the opinion of competent medical counsel...

(Stop the tape! Who usually "counsels" for abortions? Why free-standing abortion clinics do. In fact, they do about 90% of the abortions. So if a Mormon family takes their daughter to the abortion clinic, what do you think the "competent medical counsel" will counsel? In addition, the medical community is chock full of "competent medical counsel" that advises abortion).

Bottom-line spiritual fall-out for Mormonism's top leadership? That it was over-trusting in the medical community to begin with!

(2)...except...the life or good health of the mother is seriously endangered...

(Stop the tape there!...pregnancy isn't a disease and aside from ectopic pregnancies - which lead to both Mom & child dying - doctors aren't "prophets" who can predict the outcomes of pregnancies re: health effects upon Mom)

(3)...except...or where the pregnancy was caused by rape and produces serious emotional trauma in the mother.

(Stop the tape there!...even more exceptions...the mice are eating so many holes in the cheese what's beginning to remain?)

1983: A decade later after its earlier statement, the LDS Church General Handbook of Instructions had dropped the produce serious emotional trauma from the exception (I mean come on, what rape doesn't involve serious emotional trauma? How insensitive to abused girls and women could Lds leadership be? Now why might Mormons defend such insensitivity vs. standing up for such girls and women everywhere! Shame and double shame. In the 1983 statement, the Lds leadership added incest to the exception list. So, a predator who commits incest could then "cover up" his crime by aborting him or her - all sanctioned by the church.)

1983, continued: (4)...except...Even then it should be done only after counseling with the local presiding priesthood authority and after receiving divine confirmation through prayer."

STOP THE TAPE!!! What? The Mormon god is now a before-the-fact conspirator in the murder of the pre-born child, along with local LDS counselors who might approve of any abortion???? Mormons agree with this? I know Lds are big on personal revelation but so were the the Lafferty brothers who killed a baby and his mother in 1984.

Please explain how Ron Lafferty had a supposed personal revelationfrom the Mormon god to kill his sister-in-law (& he killed her baby in the crib) and that's obviously out of bounds to us all  but Mormons somehow think it's OK for the Mormon god to give the local presiding priesthood the authority via divine confirmation through prayer to commit open dismemberment upon a baby who has brain waves and a beating heart and all the body parts to boot?

From that linked article -- focusing on the Lds church position on dismembering babies in the womb: The only possible exceptions are when: 1. Pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

Translation: The Mormon church likes to be able for incest perpetrators to cover up their crimes.

From the article re: Lds church position on abortion: 2. A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy.

90% or more of all abortions are don't by "competent physicians" -- but by full-time (sometimes circuit-riding) abortionists. So much for the Mormon church placing their trust in "competent 'physicians'." They are quite efficient butchers, harvesting body parts as well.

From the article re: Lds church position on abortion: 3. A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

And now the Mormon church entrusts abortionists to be able to be prophetic as diagnosticians re: the disabled, eh? (Pathetic)

From the article re: Lds church position on abortion: Even these exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. Abortion...should be considered only after the persons responsible have consulted with their bishops and received divine confirmation through prayer."

Ah...the worst -- and most wide-open to abuse exception any deceiving church could ever create..."why if God says in prayer it's "OK" to vacuum that baby limb by limb from the womb, go for it" -- announces the highest leaders from the Mormon church.

Disgusting. God will hold Mormon leaders and their lacky grassroots members accountable for this!!!!

From the article: Has this teaching informed his thinking on this issue?...

You bet! The Mormon church is rather ambivalent about protecting the disabled...and protecting reputations (if the Mormon god wants to contribute to being a party in their mass-murder scheme in their pregnancies' 'cover-up' via "prayer" and "answered prayer")

Romney...he ensured that taxpayers contributed more $ to abortions in MA...

He also ensured an abortion industry rep would be a permanent oversight member of RomneyCare.

And offspring? Romney said -- over three years after a so-called pro-life "conversion" -- that they were disposable...that parents could "donate" their offspring to "research" and that would be A-"OK." [Source: Katie Couric interview with Romney, early December 2007]

Not “wasting” at all...by you posting this platform for the truth to emerge...many fr posters and many more non fr lurkers see them...documentation wins out over slams, incivility, and ad hominens...cause when you do google searches on certain keywords tied to romney, it ‘s the truth posts which tend to bump to the top

The source for the answer in your link. *””Read other answers contributed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Answers are the sole responsibility of the members.””*

Here is the answer given by the Bishop and then Stake President (the church office over Bishops), the extremely devout, devoted, and powerful “church leader”, Mitt Romney.

Governor Mitt Romney: Im proud of my faith. There is nothing I distance myself from. There are Mormons in the leadership of my Church who are pro-choice, and they do not violate that. Your not a lawyer, but you have to read that a little bit more carefully. For instance my Church says, that if you have sex outside marriage that you could be excommunicated. Now, do we make a law that says that? No

Jan Mickelson: But..

Governor Mitt Romney: No, no, wait.

Jan Mickelson: Youre missing my point.

Governor Mitt Romney: No your missing my point. Which is what a society makes as law, and requires other people to do, is not necessary the same.

Jan Mickelson: Im talking about the political sphere. When you bifurcate politics from religion , and you have them hermetically sealed, when you make a political category over hear, and a spiritual one over hear.

Governor Mitt Romney: No my Church says I cant drink alcohol. Right? Thats what my Church says. Mitt you cant drink alcohol. OK. Should I say that as Governor of Massachusetts we are stopping all alcohol sales? If your not going to separate your religion You better make everyone not drink alcohol. No. MY RELIGION IS FOR ME. And how I live my life. My Church, the leaders of my Church, who I know well, and who I have been, a leader of my Church, says with the same vehemence that we have our own beliefs, we also vehemently believe other people should be able to make their own choices.

Jan Mickelson: No, no.

Governor Mitt Romney: They can make their own choices, and have free agency. And so dont confuse what I do as a member of my faith, with what I think should be done by government.

Jan Mickelson: Taking it to the next level, and the next level is, you are running in this state, trying to appeal to the, however you term it, the religious right.

Governor Mitt Romney: Im trying to tell people my views.

Jan Mickelson: I know but I understand your position, of who you are going to try to appeal to, and it includes Catholics, and evangelicals.

Governor Mitt Romney: I accept all my faith, but I dont impose all my faiths beliefs on you. My view is that I should be able to practice my religion . You should have the right to practice your religion .

Jan Mickelson: I agree, but thats not what I was getting to. What I was trying to get to was, people who will reject your Mormonism on a theological basis, would put up with that and might vote for you, if they thought you were a morally consistent Mormon.

Governor Mitt Romney: Well I am.

Jan Mickelson: If they dont think you are a morally consistent Mormon they are not likely to hold their nose

Governor Mitt Romney: I make it very clear. I do not try and distance myself from my faith, in any way shape or form. Ive been asked time and again, will you distance yourself from your Church, will you disavow this practice, and the answer is no.

Jan Mickelson: The point is when you try to hermetically seal them, that makes your potential supporters who agree with your ethics, nervous. Thats all Im trying to say.

Governor Mitt Romney: And so what should I do? I should not have been pro-choice. And so therefore Im just finished right there. Well you were pro choice so you distanced yourself from your faith so your finished. So what should I say?

Jan Mickelson: No, no, I made a mistake when I

Governor Mitt Romney: And every Mormon should be pro-life?

Jan Mickelson: If thats what your Church says.

Governor Mitt Romney: Thats not what my Church says! There are leaders of my Church who are pro-choice. Youre wrong. Thats your problem.

Jan Mickelson: No thats false logic. Your Churchs official position is pro-life.

Governor Mitt Romney: No, no-no, no no. We can continue that conversation

With President Bush I’ll take “C”, the most intelligent president since Reagan, who overcame dyslexia and became president and did not plan 911.

With Romney, I’ll take “C” as well. He is a naturally liberal individual who molds his positions to match what he thinks will win for him. He also happens to come from a religion that, like Islam, has a public and private face.

20
posted on 07/23/2012 4:32:14 PM PDT
by Ingtar
("As the light begins to fade in the city on the hill")

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